The Halloween Kids (TV series)
The Halloween Kids is a Canadian-American TV series that aired from 2000-2002 in Canada on Teletoon and Fox Family in the US. It was created by and based on the books by Elliot Strange and developed by Strange, Owen Emerson and Paul Ward. Production The series originally began as a series of shorts that aired on Teletoon in 1999. It led to a TV movie in 2000 and that along with the shorts' popularity prompted a full series. The show aired for two seasons from 2001 to 2002. It was produced by Gecko Studios, Wardville, Inc. and Artemis Entertainment, in association with Nelvana Limited and Adelaide Productions. Rather than utilizing a single roster of actors from a single talent union, the show utilized a large roster of voice actors. Strange got talent from Vancouver, as well as Ontario. For the sake of budget, Strange focused on hosting Vancouver talent since his company was based there, while Nelvana and a subsidiary of Artemis Entertainment had offices in Ontario. The show had no key demographic in mind; though it found an audience with young adults and tweens. Strange pitched the show to Teletoon since had no set demographic with their programs. Strange had no similar luck when pitching the show to an American network. Due to the show being produced in the US, Strange was unable to legally get support from the Canadian Tax Credit program. Strange went to Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network but they had no interest. He then went to UPN but due to them discontinuing their children's programing block they had no place for the show. The Halloween Kids was ultimately picked up by Fox Family. Due to a number of factors, including the network's already declining ratings, a lack of promotion for the show and the fact that it was picked up within the network's final year, only nine episodes wound up airing. The show went virtually unnoticed in the US. Strange attempted to pitch it to the then new ABC Family but they declined to make room for more appealing programs as they had recently launched. Strange tried one final attempt with The WB. He had aimed for their children's block Kids WB!, but they refused to air it unless they could edit the episodes for commercial time and cut down on aspects they deemed inappropriate. The show was picked up on the main network for a trial run and was put in a time-slot immediately after Kids WB! signed off for the day. The show suffered from stagnant ratings, but the first season did air in its entirety due to contractual obligation. Plot The show is set in the fictional northern Wisconsin town of Belbury. In general, the series focuses on The Halloween Kids, a group of children with bizarre abilities who're involved with numerous oddities that plague their town. Episodes often start at Belbury Middle School, itself home to an array of bizarre students preceded over by a dementedly moralistic teacher and an eccentric principal. As the series went on, focus strayed from the Halloween Kids, with equal focus being put on other prominent characters. Structure Episodes typically begin with a cold open. The openings tend to have nothing to do with the plot (save for certain instances where they establish certain characters or give an implication for what's to come.) Episodes feature a mix of horror elements and tongue-in-cheek humor. Most episodes are played for laughs, while others tend to be dark and go as far as touching upon elements such as abuse and death. There's a mild sense of continuity between the episodes, namely applying toward the characters where they either become friends with anyone in the main gang or go through development that sticks throughout the remainder of the series. Characters The Halloween Kids The Halloween Kids are a gang of children encompassing multiple personalities and means of handling situations. With the exception of Alison, Colleen, Jerry and later Jupiter, each member has supernatural powers. They were virtually unchanged from their book counterparts. *'Alison Meeks (Mae Whitman season 1):' The leader of the Halloween Kids. Alison is a spunky talkative girl and the leader of the Halloween Kids. She is knowledgeable on everything obscure or irrelevant to what's currently happening, with a varying payoff. Since she was the first to discover the club's first monster, she had leeway in becoming their leader. While generally optimistic, Alison also tends to be somewhat moody and short-tempered. She also tends to be somewhat selfish whenever an opportunity comes for her to gain power, leading to people turning against her, even Colleen. She wears shades frequently, done to cover her disfigured set of eyes which she believed was caused by a rare eye disorder, but it was caused by a pact her family made with the Headless Inspectre to preserve their lives, leading to disfigurement on their next born child as a permanent reminder to never invoke his wrath. Alison was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. *'Colleen Dixon (Melissa Fahn):' Colleen is Alison's best friend. Colleen is a somewhat shy girl who takes on a deadpan persona when she's forced to interact with others. Colleen stuck with Alison because the latter understood her better and is helping build her self-esteem. She wants to become a stronger individual and learn to fight her own battles in order to be like her parents. Colleen is typically the voice of reason or one who'd rather gawk at certain things, but she tends to be just as bad, often worse than Alison when she loses control. Colleen's from Denver, Colorado. *'Jupiter Slaatsky (Andrea Libman):' The youngest in the Slaatsky family, later a main protagonist in the series. Jupiter is a bubbly naive girl who gives insight whether the people around her want to hear it or not. In spite of her demeanor clashing heavily with her circle of friends, she is still treated as an equal, with her friends viewing her constant optimism as a way to maintain emotional balance. In the second season she becomes a member of the Halloween Kids after discovering her strong endurance to pain (shown through a fight she has with Suzy). Jupiter was a prominent character in the books, namely as a hopeful applicant who was always held back by her father. *'Sam Proctor (Julie Lemieux):' A girl who's into magic and planting and is also a bookworm. It's revealed that she's a witch, but she keeps it under wraps so she could make friends easier and maintain a normal life. Sam is very cynical, and tends to be the first to criticize potentially bad ideas, and she also has low patience. She is also very calm, but is easily provoked and merciless. *'Jerry Sandoval (Ian James Corlett):' A somewhat cowardly boy. Next to the Dobsons, he's one of the only boys in the Halloween Kids, something he forgives since he's weak by nature. In spite of his cowardice, he has a strong love of extra terrestrials, carried down from his father. When he met Jenny, he was grateful when she became his friend and offered to protect her to build his confidence. While he is a caring boy, he only applies it to people he feels matter more than him, which are very few. *'Jenny Sandoval (Sarah Gadon):' An alien girl who was sent to Earth by her family due to miscommunication between them and their overlord. She landed in Belbury and befriended Jerry, who was the only human who wasn't afraid of her. She is taken in by Ned and treated as if he was her own. Because of her lack of experience on Earth, Jenny comes off as somewhat naive and may engage in acts normal to her, but too bizarre for everyone else. *'Becky Newton (Chiara Zanni):' A girl who has the ability to turn into a werewolf, as well as the daughter of Luther and Laney. Becky ran away from home a few months prior to the start of the series and had a run-in with Victoria who turned her into a werewolf, though due to her change being brought on through DNA extraction, it was more of a mutation than a traditional affliction. Becky never came back due to her parents own hatred of dogs and her fearing they would disown her. Something of a wallflower, her shyness prevented her from making friends back then, so when she ran away nobody realized it. Becky is typically calm and quiet, only opening up to those she's close to, but is also easily angered. She develops a crush on Randall after he encouraged her to return to Belbury and face her parents. Becky's transformation depends on her emotions, becoming more powerful when saddened or angry. *'Emily Blythe (Britt Irvin):' A nerdy girl who often serves as the brains of the group. Emily is more intelligent than anyone in her group, which in turn leads to people constantly asking her for advice. Following a lab accident prior to the series, Emily became part lizard (though save for her tongue, she lacks the physical appendages of one.) Having been picked on for most of her life, she found it hard to trust people, and often threw whatever friends she had under the bus when a better offer came around. This came to a heed where she embarrassed Julie, who at the time was exposed to a mutant gene and turned into an insect-based monster, and Emily wound up accelerating her genes just to fight her before she broke down and apologized for her deeds. The Perrino Elites The Perrino Elites are a secret society, one of the most feared in Alison's school. They exist to provide a protection racket for the more dominant social groups, namely bullies (preferably bullies with higher intelligence than others), divas, jocks and those with professional connections. They would seek anyone who annoys them and punish them based on the extent of their misdeed. In the books, they were an illuminati-esque group who closely monitored the activities of the Halloween Kids, believing that they will carry on the sinister legacy of their ancestors. Alison and the leader, Francis, became friends near the end of the first season, but Francis used this to closely monitor her and her group. * Francis Perrino (Catherine Disher): The leader of the Elites, best identified by her large head sporting a bulging vein. Francis is a ruthless individual who does whatever she could to maintain her reputation in Belbury Middle School. She directs her worst aspects toward those she hates in order to prevent any internal protest from her cohorts. Francis originally deemed The Halloween Kids as a threat and waited for a good opportunity to take them down, but after various instances of Alison helping her and her group, both reach a mutual understanding and become friends. Francis cares deeply for her group and is easy to reason with. * Ashley Yorke (Tracey Moore): Ashley is a somewhat sociopathic child, frequently taking joy in causing trouble for others or encountering it herself. Her demeanor helped her fit in with the rest of the Elites and she has shown to be a very devoted member. Ashley came from a delusional and abusive family, and seeks friendship as a means of escapism. Ashley used to be friends with Alison, but they grew apart, though later on in life, Fiona filled the gap and she and Ashley became inseparable since. Ashley is from Doon, Iowa. * Fiona Kennedy (Andrea Libman): Francis' other friend. Fiona seems to lack mental stability, showing no reluctance to bring about cruel and unusual punishments to anyone who crosses Francis or any of the other elites. Also tends to act like a dog, something she does to get attention. She is revealed to be poor and lives in a trailer park. She is much closer to Ashley, and tends to spend more time with her on and off the clock. Fiona is from Mount Cory, Ohio. * Ruth Dinsdale (Tabitha St. Germain): Francis' second in command. Ruth was born in Laurel, Mississippi, but was soon abandoned by her parents in a swamp and raised by alligators, giving her bizarre facial features. Unlike most characters of her type, Ruth is not above calling out her superiors and tends to serve as Francis' conscious. *'Angela Asbrew (Vanessa Morley):' Kerry’s niece. Angela is a bit of a loner and generally anti-social. This was brought on by a troubled home life. She left her parents after they showed indifference to when she got separated from them and was sent to live with Kerry via a court order. Kerry wasn't any better at raising her, thanks to his mental issues, and it worsened her own bad aspects. Angela is insecure and lacks self-esteem. Angela lacks the initiative to go out and make friends, save for Selma since she shares her poor social skills. She suffers from chronic nosebleeds which typically occur when she's flustered. Among her interests are playing the piano and flying kites. *'Dante Ahrens (Tony Sampson):' A bully of a mild nature. Dante doesn't seek to harm anyone unless they provoke him, or if someone hires him to. Over the course of the series, Dante attempts to better himself after feeling out of sync with his social status. He develops a crush on Julie and the two get together in the second season. Dante's appearance is based after Chevelle vocalist Pete Loeffler. *'Georgina Sutcliffe (Tabitha St. Germain):' The school diva. Georgina originally hailed from Yorkshire and was a sheltered, boarding school attendee from a well-off family until they lost ownership of the school. They moved to New Brunswick to start a new life and their daughter would be forced to attend public school. Georgina is a girly-girl, slightly naive due to her still-developing grip on the middle-class town and was nasty for a while, but slowly changed throughout the series. Georgina is a curious girl who isn't afraid to get dirty every now and again, and has a bizarre fondness for gross things. This helped her become friends with Jenny, who considers most gross things on Earth a delicacy, as well as Sam who's work revolves around gross things. A running gag throughout the series is that Georgina always gets hit in the head by a ball. *'Randall Bench (Scott McCord):' A smooth-talking boy who's obsessed with money. Randall is a perfectionist who intends to earn everything through hard work and honesty, but there're times he abandons those principals for a stronger payout. He does work for hire, but has a steady job as a sweeper and a delivery boy. He also has a love interest in Becky, whom he indirectly helped redeem herself. Randall was born in Staten Island, New York. It's said that Randall's characterization is an amalgamation of Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra, especially the former. *'Tiberius Kirschner (Daniel DeSanto):' A jock who's part of the school's football team. He is a strategic thinker and serves as a bodyguard alongside Clifford. Beyond his stereotype, he isn't as much of a bully as Clifford, he's somewhat of a momma's boy and is a stickler for fair play. Following in his mother's footsteps, he's a science-fiction fanatic. Tiberius' name seems to be a hybrid between the names of Captain James Kirk and David Kirschner; Tiberius is the former's middle name while Kirschner is the last name of David Kirschner, a key producer on Earth: Final Conflict. * Selma Slaatsky (Janyse Jaud): The second youngest in the Slaatsky clan. Selma takes after her father, and tends to be abrasive and crude, inhibiting her from making friends. This reflects on her school life, where she tends to bully most of her female peers. Selma is into sports that mainly involve the use of rackets, specifically tennis, badminton and lacrosse, plus she has a hefty appetite. She has a dysfunctional relationship with Jupiter and tends to bully her, but come the second season, both slowly move past it. * Taylor Swenson (Nicole Oliver): The most popular student at Belbury Middle School. True to her title, Taylor is somewhat of a diva, though unlike most divas, she is more conservative and tends to strike people she feels deserve ridicule. She doesn't antagonize Alison and her friends (perhaps out of fear for angering those with supernatural powers) and is only involved with the Elites due to prior association with most of the members. She is the head of a subchapter in the Elites, the Hive, which consist of those similar to her. * Briana Waloski (Tabitha St. Germain): Daughter of Burt and Jade. Unlike her parents, Briana is wrapped up in her wealth and is quick to put lower class individuals down. Her behavior is due to insecurity; she had been bullied before her parents became rich. Her insults are thinly-veiled cries for friendship, though thankfully she was able to make connections with the Elites. * Monique Broderick (Stacey DePass): Monique primarily hangs out with Taylor and her posse of friends. She is strangely idolized for her mysterious visage, something that irritates her, though she takes the high road and says nothing about it. Truthfully, she is very shy and finds it hard to hold one on one conversations. She enjoys listening to music. * Clifford (Brian Drummond): A heavyset bully who's the most polarizing part of the Elites. He isn't above getting punished by the others for his behavior, and he tends to antagonize Colleen, something the Halloween Kids hate him for. Compared to other bullies, Clifford is more self-aware and mainly does what he does to maintain balance without leaving it to a much worse replacement. When he's on good terms with the Elites, he tends to act as a bodyguard alongside Tiberius. Julie's Gang Predates the Halloween Kids by a few months. All of the members met whilst in detention and bonded over their dislike for Ms. Chapley. Jupiter left to join the Halloween Kids, but maintains an alliance with the gang. Julie's gang never hindered the Halloween Kids unless they were provoked. The gang seems to be a node to a typical street gang or a mere band of revels. * Julie Dallow (Bryn McAuley): A punk girl who often takes the role of a contrarian. She used to be a prominent street rat until she got the chance to turn her life around. Julie holds a strong moral compass and sticks up for much weaker individuals, though she tends to be very sarcastic to most people. Her exterior hides the fact that she was once a weak girl who felt as though she had little to contribute to the world. A girl of simple pleasures, Julie's into alternative music and considers a fun afternoon visiting a comic book shop and getting a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Julie was reportedly the most popular character in the series. * Victor Fulton (Peter Oldring): A toady boy with a unibrow and buck teeth. He's a dealer and a prankster who only acts when he knows he could ge away with it. He's within Julie's circle of friends, alongside Emily, Ashley, Fiona, Corky, Jupiter and Bernadette. He often goes into things without thinking and tends to throw his friends into danger to save himself from any trouble. * Thaddeus "Corky" Winthrop (Noel Callahan): '''A timid, often mute boy who is best identified by the fact that he wears a bicycle helmet almost all of the time. It's believed that his weirdest aspect is beneath his helmet, though it's also theorized that his head is soft and it's used for protection. Whenever he speaks, it's usually to sum up whatever happens to his friends or to offer a solution. * '''Bernadette Shunt (Tracey Moore): A girl who always possesses a smug look on her face. She is snarky and sarcastic, particularly to people within her circle, but is mostly quiet everywhere else. She seems to be one of the oldest friends within her circle, having known Victor for years. She doesn't wear socks or shoes. * Morgan Chavarri (Erin Fitzgerald): A tomboyish girl who turns up less frequently than the others, unless they're the main focus of the episode. Morgan enjoys working on cars and idolizes truckers, something she never keeps quiet about. She is the rudest part of the group and tends to act out more than the others, often causing trouble for each of them. * Mack MacPheran (Chiara Zanni): A fitness fanatic and, consequentially, the brawn of the group. Mack is close to Julie, with the latter even being trained by her. In spite of her nature, Mack is somewhat squeamish and is prone to panic attacks in situations without blatant solutions. The Raven Stakes A now retired supernatural investigation team. They grew apart following a devastating attack on what turned out to be innocent spirits who wanted to aid the Stakes. Kerry, their succeeding leader, denied everything that happened that day, to the disgust of his former allies who deserted him soon after. One of the members were sent to the Detendimension as a last-ditch effort to seal away the spirits of G.R.A.Z.. Following the destruction of their homes in Later Half, Here I Come, they take residence in Cosmo's house. * Kerry Hubbard (Stephen Ouimette): The uncle/father of Angela and Pamela respectively. Kerry seems to lack mental stability, often quick to go into extremes if no one's around to keep him in line. His obsession with integrity puts him at odds with Angela, thanks to her more rebellious nature. Kerry was once married to Hope Chapley, through a shotgun marriage, but he broke up with her due to her being more unhinged than him. The root of Kerry's mental problems has never been identified, though it's believed he suffers from Bipolar Disorder. In Die-Section, it's revealed that Kerry's Jewish. Kerry was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. * Cosmo Kadic (Roger Dunn): He's the principal at the kids' school and is the father of Marie. Cosmo is the self-appointed head of the neighborhood committee and is quick to assess any situation. Beyond his closest friends and family, he seemingly cares little about the well-being of others, shown by him tormenting numerous students whilst he was in college. He also seems to use his job as principal to let out his more sociopathic tendencies, all to enforce his role as principal. The means he goes to do this is a reason why numerous supernatural beings attend the school, and also why he and Ms. Chapley are the only constant members of the faculty. In spite of his demeanor, he doesn't actively hate anyone, though he typically aids people so long as he has something to get out of it. Cosmo's from West Bend, Wisconsin. * Lars Perrino (Tony Rosato): Francis' father and the current successor to the Perrino estate. He got convicted following the disbandment of the Stakes due to mounting charges from his mafia days, but got out after agreeing to a plea bargain where he would reveal the locations of still-active members of his crime family. He served his family and the Stakes and is very similar to his daughter in terms of interests and means of operating. Over the years he has become a lot more honorable and committed to being a respected part of the neighborhood. It's implied heavily that Lars is gay and has developed a fixation on Cosmo for whatever reason. * Ned Sandoval (Hiro Kanagawa): Jerry and Jenny's father. Ned is a generally weird man, having a strong obsession with aliens and doing various unorthodox things when not in the company of others. He often refers to everything as "fascinating", paying no mind to what's happening to or around him. As a result of his behavior he's often left out of various activities and his wife is more favored than him. Ned seemed to have been little more than a punching bag or a meat shield to the Stakes, and he's often the butt of many jokes. Ned is from Lima, Ohio. * Bob Dixon (Howard Jerome): The team's brawn, and Colleen's father. For a time, he was the strongest man in Belbury, best known for his dexterity and better resistance to pain. This was compromised when he was involved in a car accident a year after the Stakes disbanded, breaking his back and both of his ankles in the process. Years of recovery rendered him out of shape and he walks with the aid of a cane. He's somewhat of a pacifist, refusing to aid his neighbors if they'd resort to violence. Bob's interests include fishing, checkers and poker. He came from Anderson, Missouri. * Luther Newton (Danny Wells): Becky's father. Luther was a compulsive gambler who previously exploited the Raven Stakes in order to avoid conviction for financial scandals and to get out of paying owed debts. He is seen frequently where the Perrinos and the Binders are present and seems to be within the same neighborhood as the other adults. Luther is a bumbling and generally meek man, but when provoked he tends to be violent. * Boris Slaatsky (Long John Baldry): A recurring (later main for the second season) antagonist, Hanneke's husband and the father of Selma, Anita, Britney, Ezra, Mercury and Jupiter. Boris is a Russian immigrant who met Hanneke while traveling to South Dakota to evade an assault trial, and Hanneke wound up marrying him to get out of a group home she lived in at the time. Boris is a boorish, loutish, often abusive individual who uses his brutish nature to work his way into his friends' circle. Boris supposedly bullied Kerry and Cosmo in college and got expelled over manslaughter charges. During his tenure in the Raven Stakes, he led a coup that led to the slaughter of innocent spirits who wanted to aid them to be free of the Headless Inspectre's clutches. This was a key factor leading to everyone hating him afterwards. At the end of the series, we learn that Boris is Alison's biological father, and that the supposed actual father was born out of Boris' own insecurities. G.R.A.Z. Ghostly Revenge Alliance... Zoinks!. The main antagonists of the series. * Headless Inspectre (Eugene Levy): The Headless Inspectre is the ghost of Blaine Matson, a renowned health inspector from the 1950s. He was killed in 1971 by a vengeful butcher after Blaine gave him a poor review. Prior to this, he practiced heavily in black magic to ensure that he would maintain power and return to humanity in some form were anything to happen to him. Because of this, his severed head became cursed and his spirit roamed free until the Raven Stakes imprisoned it in a book, which Suzy freed him from. Blaine's head was buried beneath an oak tree set on the highest point in Belbury. To whomever reunites his head with his body, he will become their servant, only for the reverse to happen. * Sorrow (Harvey Atkin): Ghost of Richard Darsey. He was the son of the butcher that killed Blaine Matson. Following his father's conviction, Richard walked the line between sanity and insanity, gradually going towards the latter after the Headless Inspectre was discovered. During the battle with the ethereal Halloween Kids, Richard saw the Headless Inspectre as the reason for his decaying sanity and persevered in attacking the kids, believing them to be active pawns. Wracked with guilt after learning that the assault was in vein, he succumbs to the influence of the Headless Inspectre and becomes Sorrow, with his guilt manifesting into his form. * Suzy Hellman (Catherine Disher): The prime antagonist. She's a cousin to the Slaatskies, a fact she kept under wraps to preserve her social image. Suzy seems to hate anyone that she deems weird or are a blight on her visions for wealth and power, prompting her to claim no association to people of smaller social standings and even openly attacking her former friends Elizabeth and Dolly. She is in constant denial over her place in the school's social hierarchy, believing herself to be above everyone when she is actually one of the most hated in her school, generally being deemed well out of sync with the rest of her peers, even the Hive. She'd say anything to get respect from others, in spite of hypocritically doing stuff that's against it. Lacking in sympathy, she blew off Elizabeth and Dolly, her only true friends and nearly killed Jupiter in a fight because she revealed Suzy's connection to the Slaatskies. She later unleashes the Headless Inspectre in an attempt to destroy Belbury and restart it in her own image, unaware of the curse where he would claim her soul soon after. She finds a way out of this however, and takes control of the Spectre's domain, only to get imprisoned in his tome and burned out of existence. The Moms of Belbury Used to note mothers that are related to key characters. * Victoria Meeks (Saffron Henderson): Alison's biological mother and Amber's sister. Unlike the latter, Victoria was generally carefree and girly. She got involved with a classmate who was studying lycanthropy, and it led to her slowly becoming a werewolf after a series of tests. They affected Victoria's personality, causing a rift between her and Amber. Victoria ran away and got involved with Richard (before he became Sorrow.) Following Richard's death, Victoria became Alison's sole guardian before she lost her mind and gave in to her more primal desires. Alison and Victoria are reunited in New Frontfears and she returns to normal, seeking to reconcile with the former and Amber. As kids, she and Amber had something of a rivalry, it still being held. * Amber Meeks (Patricia Drake): Alison's aunt and current guardian, as well as Victoria's sister and the mother of Linda, Yorba and Nixon. Opposite her sister, Amber's a bit more high strung and not as flexible as Victoria and Edgar. Her means of putting up with what she dislikes amount to mere disfavor or sarcasm; she doesn't actively go against what she deems unsuitable. Her attitude put her at odds with Edgar and both divorced prior to the series, though they get back together later on. Amber's cynicism stems from personal angst wrought from what Victoria went through; Victoria became a werewolf due to Amber's own selfishness preventing her from catching obvious red flags in Victoria's behavior, and she got afflicted by a spited Victoria. In the past, Amber was carefree, tomboyish and into science, and for those she's comfortable with, those former habits tend to come forth. * Enid Dixon (Linda Kash): Colleen's mother. She is a stern mother figure, but only to what she deems to be the proper extent. Enid was bulled throughout her youth, thanks to her height and awkwardness, which prompted her to lift weights to up her self-esteem, leading to her becoming a bodybuilder. She and Bob were childhood friends and dated for a while, but broke it off when Bob became part of the Raven Stakes, a group she wound up becoming the biggest critic for. After reencountering Bob, who had his back damaged, the two reconciled and moved to Denver, later to Wisconsin to pursue new work. Like Bob, Enid is a pacifist. Enid is from Lowell, Arkansas. * Majel Sandoval (Nicole Oliver): Ned's wife. Majel is obsessed with science fiction and is a trekkie (going as far as dressing in clothes paralleling what's worn in Star Trek.) Beyond her interests, Majel is neurotic and stern, and sometimes has little patience for most things. Majel was generally against Jerry and Jenny's involvement with the Halloween Kids, namely due to the former having no abilities of his own and the latter's unpredictability, leading to her attempting to keep both at home when they're invited to more serious events. Majel's name is based on that of the wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. * Delta Meeks (Ellen Ray Hennessy): Victoria and Amber's mother, and Alison, Yorba and Nixon's grandmother. A writer and business woman who's the oldest amongst Enid's circle of friends. Delta was Enid's former English teacher who supposedly helped Enid when she was bullied as a kid, allowing their friendship to blossom. She's a rival to Ms. Chapley, but the former seems to be well above her. * Hanneke Slaatsky (nee Demke) (Terri Hawkes): Boris' wife. She is a kind woman, but she tends to be firm depending on the circumstances. Compared to her husband, Hanneke is more favored than him, and she is unafraid to confront Boris whenever he goes too far. Her line of work is unknown, but it's heavily implied she does some kind of work for her local news station. * Dakota Dallow (Jayne Eastwood): Delta's daughter and Artemis and Julie's mother. Dakota is a pro-wrestler who seems to be more obsessed with her body image than Enid, with the two serving as friendly rivals. Dakota tends to be rough and is prone to angry outbursts, and due to her line of work she is unable to always be there for her family, but whenever a crisis occurs, she's willing to drop everything to help. * Dana L. Selena "Dallas" Hellman (Linda Ballentyne): Hanneke's step-sister and Suzy's mother. Dallas is a pampered and naive individual, but has a good heart and knows not to overstep personal boundaries. She lost contact with Hanneke and the two gradually grew apart until Suzy's betrayal helped them to reconcile. Dallas is a mechanic and enjoys watching football, but is also very frail. The Teens This is mainly used to note characters that are related to the protagonists. * Britney Slaatsky (Rachel Wilson): Into video games and claims to be the only girl to maintain record scores on arcade games. Britney is lazy and is more content with playing video games, something that gets on the nerves of her family and friends. She seems to always hold a dementedly calm demeanor no matter how bad something is, which she claims helps her think clearly in a dire situation. She's the middle child in the Slaatskies. * Mercury Slaatsky (Jenn Forgie): The eldest daughter in the Slaatsky family. She possesses a thick Russian accent, putting her in the same vein as her father. Mercury is vanity-laden, and tends to enforce her beliefs, resorting to violent yet comical deeds whenever she's challenged. She also seems to possess incredible strength, something she uses to throw otherwise heavy objects at Boris during more heated arguments. In spite of her attitude, she opposes popularity and maintains a close relationship with her siblings. Janyse Jaud was originally cast as her, but Strange was unsatisfied with Jaud's attempt at a Russian accent. * Yorba and Nixon Meeks (Alyson Court and Michael Eklund respectively): Twin siblings who’re Alison's cousins and Amber’s children. Yorba's a geeky goth girl and is more extroverted compared to Nixon. Yorba is also very naive and emotional, to the point some people make fun of her for it. Yorba became goth to be closer to her brother, but she seems to embrace the fashion more than the other aspects of goth culture. Nixon is more into goth culture than Yorba, and is also into horror. He tends to be brutally honest and spiteful, though only Yorba seems to be receptive to the intentions behind this. * Artemis Dallow (Megan Fahlenbock): Julie's older sister. A responsible girl who futilely serves as a voice of reason for her otherwise uncooperative friends. In spite of this, Artemis frequency has bouts of anger, usually inflicted whenever she realizes someone's being dishonest (especially when it comes to people covering their tracks in terms of questionable relationships.) Artemis' sexuality has been questioned several times throughout the series, and it's possible her anger comes from her being unable to come to grips with her own sexual preferences. * Denise Dixon (Stephanie Morgenstern): Colleen's cousin. She has mostly appeared as a background character in the first season and it wasn't made clear that she had any relation to Colleen until Suziopath where she was present with the Dixons. Denise is a shy quiet girl, but thanks to those factors she is also somewhat intelligent. People go to her for advice, which annoys her because she's reluctant to talk to people. It's possible she's in a relationship with Artemis, done through subtle hints given throughout the series, though it's equally possible that it's entirely one-sided. * Anita Slaatsky (Carly McKillip): The happier of the teens. She is a animal lover and a child at heart,and is somewhat naive as well. She is defiant toward the teens whenever they try to get rid of her (which is common since they view her bubbly demeanor as a blight on their more grim perspective on life). However, she isn’t hated by them and they don’t make any effort to keep her out of their circle. When provoked however, she tends to be very violent and it’s difficult for any of her victims to subdue her. She's the second oldest daughter in the Slaatskies. * Ezra Slaatsky (Kirby Morrow): The eldest child in the Slaatsky family as well as the only son. Ezra is an introvert who enjoys partying, science fiction and fantasy, though the latter three is ususally lost on those around him because of his attitude. He was close to Mercury, but the two faced friction due to the latter revealing a secret of his, but the two reconcile for the sake of putting up with Boris. Ezra works well with Mercury and both tend to be together in group operations. * Adelaide Dallow (Stacey DePass): The eldest daughter. Typical of many elder teens, Adelaide tends to put her interests before anyone else and isn't above exploiting her younger siblings. Adelaide has psychic powers, which she keeps secret and uses to keep tabs on those she's against. She seems to hold the most contempt toward Artemis and Julie, namely due to them being able to defend themselves against her. In spite of this, Adelaide does care for her family, and her nature seems to be due to her wanting to preserve order in the house. Adelaide is friends with Linda, and she tends to use the latter to cover for her. Most of the time, she hangs out with Martha, with both even becoming fake superheroes to fight people they hate; it became full time after they defeated a genuine villain. * Carli Sandoval (Erin Fitzgerald): Ned's daughter. Carli is a free-spirited and social girl, though she tends to be plagued with awkwardness if flustered or caught off guard. Due to her intended social lifestyle, she does herself leaving the Sandoval household to pursue an education at an arts academy, though she is been able to visit her family on special occasions, even returning permanently in the second season, albeit under unknown circumstances. Carli's interests include horseback riding and sailing. She suffers from Hetrochromia. * Melissa Hubbard (Kelly Sheridan): Kerry's niece. Melissa is a feministic girl who tends to lean closer to the views of peers her own gender, which have varying payoffs. She didn't make an appearance until Suziopath, and it's revealed that Kerry sent her to boarding school as a punishment for missing curfew. * Linda Meeks (Cathy Weseluck): Amber's eldest daughter. Linda is an acne-riddled sci-fi geek who makes up for her lower social status by being more headstrong than her compatriots. Linda is rarely seen in the show, at least in major roles beyond Suziopath. She is often present in brief visual gags where she's in a relationship with a slacker, Krug (Yannick Bisson) and both engage in lewd acts. Other Prominent Characters * Elizabeth Yuzna (Chantal Strand): A film and book enthusiast who's within Georgina's circle of friends. Elizabeth's obsession with film puts her at odds with other people, given that she is often vehemently critical of well-regarded films or shows, preferring more obscure, less warmly received fare. When she is independent of Georgina, she seems to be the leader of the trio and often coordinates whatever happens for the day. It's revealed that Elizabeth rarely ever bathes. Elizabeth's last name is sourced from Brian Yuzna, the directer of Silent Night, Deadly Night 4. This represents Elizabeth going against the norm, like in Brian's case, making a film in a series that conflicts with the theme of the rest of the series. *'Dolly Kitrosser (Ashley Taylor):' A bubbly girl. Dolly frequently adds "totally" to every sentence she says, to the annoyance of most, though people generally tolerate it. Dolly seems to be none too bright, though most episodes show that she's smarter than she seems. Dolly was abandoned as a child and was taken in by her future father Luther per a revelation on his part. She encouraged him (and later Laney) to clean up their lives and they received a hefty fortune from the Perrinos, making them cash rich. Dolly's last name comes from Martin Kitrosser, director of Silent Night, Deadly Night 5. This represents an attempt at staying with the source material, but still coming off as different. Dolly tries to be like everyone else but falls short most of the time. * Jerv and Preston Bench (Richard Newman and David Hemblen respectively): A pair who seems to be affiliated with the Perrinos. They are the father and uncle of Randall respectively. They often do work for hire, namely through Cosmo, but they also enjoy a casual relationship with the men. Jerv is the more reserved of the two (and seemingly the eldest), while Preston's more excitable and has an addiction to caffeine. Both run a general store in the neighborhood. * Pamela Hubbard (Tracey Moore): Angela's cousin. Pamela is an optimistic and blissfully ignorant girl who goes through verbal abuse from Angela on a daily basis, though it never really affects her. Pamela is shown to be very bright and resourceful when she needs to be, as well as generally aloof to whatever abuse may befall her. It's possible that Pamela is an illegitimate daughter from an affair Ms. Chapley had with Cosmo, and that Kerry knows it but doesn't call Cosmo out on due to a lack of evidence. * Courtney Dallow (Brittney Wilson): The youngest daughter in the Dallow clan. Seems to only exist to provide some occasional comedic effect. She shares a mild friendship with Pamela and aids her in messing with Kerry every now and again. * Gaylord “Sparky” and Brighton Dobson (Peter Kelamis and David Paul Grove respectively): Identical twin nerds. They try to rationalize everything with logic, but get turned away almost every time. Sparky is an obnoxious boy but he is quick to back down in the face of a physical confrontation. Brighton hates confrontation and tries to maintain peace between them and the bullies, but backs down when anyone threatens him. The other kids hardly understand Sparky, so Brighton takes on the role of translator. * Tito Perrino (Harvey Atkin): Father of Lars. In his prime, he was a very feared man who could ruin anyone's reputation thanks to his influence, but this passed when he got convicted over tax evasion. Beyond his rough exterior, Tito is actually a fairly charitable man and only went after people he felt were a threat to the community. In Slumber with the Fishes, it's implied that Tito used to work as a clown. * Lynn Newton (Kathleen Laskey): A former evangelist and a pastor at Belbury's local church. Like Luther she was involved with a number of financial schemes and was actually expelled from her position over it. Her and Luther's relationship stems from that, but both grew to know each other and fully solidify their bond. Her relationship with the other mothers is generally hit or miss, and as a result she isn't regularly included in their endeavors. Lynn has a vehement hatred of dogs and tends to kill any that wind up on her lawn, feeding them to her husband. * Hope Chapley (Nicole Oliver): A haggard teacher at Belbury Middle School, and an occasional antagonist. Like Kerry, she enforces moralism, but to a far grander, often sinister extent, to the point she's willing to let people die just to teach them a lesson. She was formally married to Kerry (apparently done through a shotgun marriage), but he wound up leaving her. In spite of her profession, Hope vehemently hates children, especially her class, directing it the most to Julie and her friends to the point she tries to get them expelled with her attempts either failing to go anywhere or backfiring when they strike back against her. Her efforts led to her getting fired or her pay getting docked, but she always returns by the start of the next episode. Beyond teaching, Ms. Chapley also does maintenance work around the school. It's implied that she rarely leaves the school, but the circumstances behind this were never confirmed. * Daphne Kadic (Kathleen Barr): Cosmo's estranged wife. She is mentioned frequently in each episode but has never been seen. Details on her life were revealed throughout the series from her childhood to her adult years. As a kid, Daphne was a tomboyish girl who loved flowers and often picked on Cosmo. When she turned 25 she left to join the army but was sent out of the battlefield due to her losing her hand in combat. She took a job as a waitress at a diner and reunited with Cosmo, eventually marrying him and birthing Tommy and Marie. Through the influence of the Headless Inspectre, he possessed Daphnel long enough to make Cosmo angry with her by spewing hateful remarks at him and made her leave him. She was later imprisoned in the Detendimension following a year of serving as a pawn to the specter and put into a comatose-like spell. She was discovered in the finale and was brought back home. * Edgar Frost (David Huband): A retired journalist and Alison's uncle. Edgar's relationship with Amber was strained, namely due to their conflicting jobs and the fact that they're rivals by nature (while Amber's Italian, Edgar's Irish). Edgar had no regrets leaving Amber, and often teases her over the fact that he's more well off detached than he was with her, so long as he knew he could get away with it. The two get back together in Everything's Better than Ezra after they're forced to work together, allowing them an opportunity to tackle their fatal flaws. * Andy Hammond (Scott McNeil): An uppity man who rarely holds back when it comes to criticizing people. Andy is generally anti-social, which heavily affected his work life because of his penchant to snap. His attitude enabled him to earn a relationship with Chris, later Autumn and Martha when they met. In spite of his demeanor, he could surprisingly be reasoned with once someone talks to him long enough, and he's seemingly not very bright, as he tends to go against his own social doctrines by accident. His poor depiction of the world stems from his introverted nature, and as a result he reacts to things differently than anyone normally would. Andy holds no contempt toward anyone, save for those he deems to be rotten by nature. Andy grew up in Tonopah, Nevada. * Mike Stearns (Gene Mack): A sour man and a frequent complainer. In the books, he was a frequent critic of several African American movements, particularly the Black Panthers; this was toned down for the series, but allusions still suffice. Compared to people like Martha and Andy, Mike isn't as misanthropic as them; while Andy and Martha merely comment on something negatively knowing full well they can't do anything about it, Mike is more vocal about his dissatisfaction, to the annoyance of the otherwise silent circle he's in. Mike's from Waynesboro, Virgina. * Chris Hancock (Garry Chalk): A downbeat man. Chris tends to be the middleman in his circle, tending to try and stop any confrontation with a quick comment. Chris suffers from depression, something the others have caught on to and they attempt to keep their interactions leveled to avoid setting him off. Unlike Andy or Martha, Chris is an introvert by choice. He was unable to maintain lasting relationships and had a very bad relationship with his father, along with some poorly decided career choices where he had to put up with condescending superiors. That aspect gave him a complex where he immediately rebuffs anyone who's quick to criticize (Andy's an exception to this, possibly because Chris knows Andy does it by nature.) Chris grew up in Lovington, New Mexico and works at an electronics store. * Seth Walsh (Dan Petronijevic): Seth is effeminate and somewhat obnoxious, being a prime source of annoyance for his friends. He seems to have had a troubled childhood, where he has emotional fits whenever certain topics are discussed, and like Artemis, his sexuality is also a source of debate. Episodes Pilots Shorts that aired throughout 1999 on Teletoon, including the pilot telefilm. Season 1 Season 2 Reception The series initially received mixed reviews, with praise going toward the characters and stories but criticism going toward the overall execution. Over the years, thanks to its unconventional nature, the show gained a cult following. Home Media In 2006, the first season was released on DVD in Canada through kaBOOM! Entertainment under license to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD includes commentary from Strange, Emerson and Ward and a behind the scenes interview with the three. The DVD is currently out of print.Category:Fake TV Shows Category:Canadian TV series Category:American TV Series Category:English-language shows Category:Fake TV Shows that air on Real Channels